X's Pledge
by TXJ
Summary: The Beginning through X's eyes.  The cartoon skips from the brothers' discovery to one week later.  This is how X handled the first night.


**Dis**: I own nothing. Characters, Settings, all of that good stuff belong to the respective copy right owners.

**AN: **I have as of yet to watch season 2 so this may not be compliant with some facts given at later dates.

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><p>We named him X, just X; so you can name your son Rex Jr. if you want." Trixie beamed at her brother in-law.<p>

All though a mask covered most of his face, the emotion there was clear.

Little X Racer was nearly a month old, and his uncle Rex, better known as Racer X, had just returned from a long mission and was holding him for the first time.

Rex held the small babe and smiled at the wide, bright and alert eyes that peered back at him.

"Trixie, I'm flattered that you would name him in my honor. With my line of work this is as close to a family of my own as I will ever come. I can't bear the thought of putting someone else in danger let alone an innocent child."

Trixie could only nod in reply, tears streaming down her cheeks. Rex walked over to the window with baby X, giving his sister-in-law a moment to calm down.

He took small X and held him up, at arms length and spoke to him.

"You, X Racer," he spoke softly looking the baby in the eyes, "will someday be a big brother, just like me. I will do everything in my power to make sure your world is a safer, more peaceful one. However I know that you, being the eldest Racer, will do everything in your power to protect your brother and teach him all you know." Rex pulled the baby back to his chest.

"Remember X, listen to your heart. Just like a car, if you close your eyes and listen to it, it will tell you what it needs, what you need." With that said he kissed his nephew on the forehead and handed him back to his mom saying his good byes.

Once the Shooting Star had driven out of sight, Trixie took a broom and shooed Spritle and Chim-Chim out of their hiding place in the kitchen.

Less than two years later Speed Racer would take his newborn son and disappear into the night. X was destined to grow up with nothing more than old photos and stories of both his Father and the man he was named after.

Fifteen years and some months later…

X collapsed on his sofa staring into space for about two minutes, then leapt up and paced the room for about as long, before throwing his hands up with a dramatic scream, that ended with him sprawled face up across his bed.

The start of term so far had been totally uncool. Vexing even, though he'd never use the word out loud. And it all led back to Speed Racer. Not the dweeb he'd just been informed was his brother, but his father. The man that no one was sure if he was dead or alive. The one who had left him to be raised by various family members and evidently ditched his brother at an orphanage.

Growing up X had always thought it cool that he had been named after his uncle Rex, the awesome racer who had gone on to be an agent against corrupt racers, the man better known as Racer X.

X had never questioned why his parents had named him after his uncle instead of his father. In a way he still didn't, he just didn't get why they had named his little brother Speed. He had grown up on stories about his father and Rex, most told by Spritle and Grand-Pops. He'd known before he could walk that he was part of the world's greatest racing family, that his father and uncle had been the best in the world.

Now though, it hurt. Rex had been second best racer, his parents had labeled him second best and they didn't even stick around to get to know him. He had always avoided talking about his father walking out on him. Now in walks a long lost little brother, with the key to the Mach 5, which he promptly trashed, and the legacy of his father's name. There was no avoiding that.

Once the initial dumb struck effects of shock had worn off, X had lost his cool. His eyes had gone hard and steely, and his fist clinched. Spritle noticed but made no attempts to stop X's next actions, which were to stand up and in a raised voice tell his uncle that they may have the same father but they were not brothers and never would be friends.

"That's too bad. Your father had hoped that naming you after our brother Rex and making sure you knew all about the man you were named after would prepare you to be a big brother to Speed when you two were reunited."

X shook his head; Spritle's expression was a combination of defeat, disappointment and sadness. He knew this wasn't his uncle's fault. Still he was too angry to admit so, not when he couldn't take it out on the real target of his anger. So he did the best thing he could, he turned and stormed out of the office.

This led him back to his room, in his current state of unrest.

X's phone rang, the tone telling him that it was Annalise. He wasn't in the mood to talk to her yet, but the call provided him the escape from his own thoughts that he needed, so he took the call.

Thankfully his girl friend hadn't heard the news yet. Evidently Speed and the other two wheels of his dweeb-cycle had kept their mouths shut so far. X had little doubt that this wouldn't last for long.

Annalise prattled on for at least ten minutes about some self-absorbed issued, mentioning her father a couple of times. She'd finished by asking him of Spritle had kicked 'Speed-bump' out of the Academy for destroying the Mach 5.

The nickname made X grit his teeth for some reason. At first he'd thought it because the kid shared his father's name, so it was close to making fun of his father, but that didn't really bother him. No, it was because the little guy didn't deserve it.

"No, he is here to stay." She started to reply, so he cut her off.

"Look, Annalise, I've got a family thing to take care of. I'll catch up with you later.", and clicked his phone shut.

He knew he owed her an explanation, and should tell her about Speed, but right now he just needed to be alone. He'd make it up to her later. He shook his head at how badly his die-cast collection was going to suffer for making it up to her as he headed to the Shooting Star.

Turning off the black top about six miles out from the campus, X wound his way up an old dirt road. He wasn't flooring it, driving just too clear his head didn't require break neck speeds and hair-pin turns. He came to a stop when he reached the top of the cliff face that over looked the school.

Looking down on the Academy always brought a swell of pride to X. It was yet another great legacy of the Racer family.

The thought brought X back full circle.

Legacies, he was saddled with so many of them. The son and nephew of the world's two greatest racers, and eldest heir to the Racer Empire. All the honesty and integrity his father brought to the racing world. The legendary car his grandfather built.

Then there was the Racer family new legacy of abandoning your family under the pretense of protecting them. First the man he was named after then his father; would he be next?

He could, couldn't he? Just get in the Shooting Star and keep driving. Let Speed Jr. take the spot light.

A bitter laugh escaped his lips. No, he couldn't, the kid had just found out he had family. X wasn't so heartless at to shatter that for him.

As the sun set and the sky started to dot with stars X lay back on the hood of the Shooting Star. The stories that Spritle and GrandPops use to tell him were running through his head.

How Racer X had made it his job to keep an eye on Speed. Entering races and taking out those who wanted to destroy the Mach 5 and Speed. All of the adventures and trouble his father would get into and how Racer X, really his uncle Rex, would come save the day.

"But why wouldn't Rex tell you guys who he really was? If I had a brother I'd want him to know that I was looking out for him. Of course, I'd be the better racer too." Grandpops had laughed and patted X on the head, making him smile.

Now, mostly grown, X closed his eyes tight as the tears threatened to spill.

He was a big brother, and he would do as he told Grandpops. He would look out for Speed, and he would be there always. And if his little brother though he was going to be the worlds best, he would have to race X the whole way.

As if to seal his silent pledge a shooting star streaked across the night sky.

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><p>I may do further works from X's PoV as we don't get very much of it in season 1.<p> 


End file.
